Manufacture of sheet glass



June 23, 1942. E. ROLLAND ET A1. 2,287,136

MANUFACTURE OF SHEET GLASS Patented June 23,"1942 2,287,136 MANUFACTURE oF SHEET cLAss Eugene Rolland and Charles J. Richter, Clarksburg, W. Va., assignors of one-half to Adamston Flat Glass Company, and one-half to Rolland GlassCompany, both of Clarksburg, W. Va., corporations of West Virginia Application .my 17, 193s,- senai No. 284,973

9 Claims. (Cl. 49-17) -This invention relates to the manufacture of sheet glass.

The invention is particularly concerned with a method of and apparatus for manufacturing sheet glass whereby better annealing is obtained and the characteristic wave of drawn glass is substantially eliminated.

In the Fourcault process of manufacturing sheet glass, the sheet is drawn upwardly from a Y bath of molten glass through a slot in a debi teuse. It is then passed between coolers within a stretching and setting chamber and is' then carried "up-- wardly through a. vertically extending Vlehr adjacent to the top of which the continuously rising glass sheet is scored and cut into desired lengths.

The zones through which the sheet successively passes are in atmospheric communication and the heat given off by the cooling of the glass in theV stretching and setting zone produces uncontrolled currents of lighter air which ow from this zone in the direction of travel of the sheet,. and` consequently, currents of colder air are drawn into this zone, thereby causing a certain turbulence in the atmospheric conditions'inthe stretching and setting zone, which results in non-uniform cooling of the glass. The glass. therefore, does not stretch evenly and the characteristic wavy surfaces are produced.

This objection has been recognized for a long periodof time, and various attempts have been made to overcome same, as by maintaining a suilciently high air pressure within ythe stretching and setting zone to preclude currents of colder air being drawn therelnto.l However, in the methods heretofore proposed, the air pressure was not stable in the direction of the widthof the sheet of glass within the stretching and setting zone, and consequently, a certain air turbulence still prevailed with the result that the objectionable wavy surface to a certain degree was still 4present on the sheets of drawn glass.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a method of and apparatus for drawing sheet glass whereby better annealing thereof is obtained and the characteristic surface waves are substantially eliminated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of and apparatus forV drawing sheet glass whereby a substantially stable air pressure is maintained within the stretching and setting zone so as to avoid induced air currents, thereby providing for uniform stretching ofthe glass within such zone.

With these objects in view together with others which will present themselves in the course of the following disclosure, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing forming part of same and wherein: Y

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the glass-melting tank, stretching and setting chamber, and the lehr of a common form ofglassdrawing apparatus, disclosing the application of the present invention in a preferred embodiment thereof;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view in a plane substantially as indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. l.;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view in a plane substantially as represented by the line' 3--3l in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing the relationy of the air-conducting conduits to the sheet of glass being drawn.

Referring now to the drawing by reference characters, and wherein like characters designate likeparts in the several views, I0 designates a glass-meltin'gtank and il designates a slotted debiteuse block, whichis disposed at the base of the stretching and setting chamber i2. The top of such chamber is formed by overhanging p0rtions of the tank together with a pairof angle'V members il, the vertical portions of whichareso spaced from` each other as to permit passage of the glass sheet S upwardly from the molten glass in the tank and through the lehr il superposed upon the chamber I2.

vlis in usual practice, the lehr isprovided with rollers i5 and louvers i6, suitable air openings being provided in the walls-of the lehr adjacent the louvers IG.

According to the present invention, means are provided for maintaining a stabilized air pressure within the stretching and setting chamber I2 to prevent induced air currents entering from the surrounding atmosphere and of such temperature as to providefor maximum efficiency in the stretching and setting of the glass.

In a preferred embodiment thereof, such means comprise a pair of air conduits i8, each of which is provided with a slotlii, which,V as indicated in Fig. 2, is preferably tapered from maximum width, adjacent its center toward the opposite ends thereof. e l

The conduits i8 at opposite ends thereofcommunicate with the ends ofthe angular conduit 20, which, through the connection 2l, is in communication with the outlet of an air 'blower 22.

The inlet of the blower 22 is in communication through a connection 23 with an angularair conduit 2l, which, adjacent the oppositenends thereoi' which communicates with a suitably heated air chamber 21 and theother end of which is in communication with atmosphere.

The conduits I8 preferably include suitable swivel connections 28 adapting the slotted portions thereof for rotatable adjustment about their axes for altering the positions of the slots I9 relative to the opposed faces of the glass sheet S.

The conduits 25 each terminate in a flattened free end 29 and such conduits each preferably include a telescopic connection 30 and a hori-Y zontal pivotal connection 3l)l adapting the flattened end portions for adjustment in vertical planes for altering the relation of the slotsin the flattened ends to the slots I9 in the conduits I8.

'I'he conduits I8 are each provided adjacent each end. thereof with a gate or valve 3I, the conduits 25 each being provided with a gate or valve 32 and the conduit 28 being provided with a gate or valve 33between the conduit 24 and heated air chamber 21 and with a gate or valve 34 between the conduit 24 and its atmospherecommunicating end.

It is to be noted that with this improved arrangement of air conduits, the customary water coolers are omitted and the method of setting the sheet of glass, which is in Fig. 3, is as follows:

4Air is continuously drawn by the blower 22, through the conduit 24, as well as the conduits 25 and 2B, and thus the air admitted to the blower is obtained from thestretching and setting chamber I2 with which the flattened ends of the conduits 25 communicate, as well as from the air heating chamber 21, and. the atmosphere providing that the valves 32, 33, and 34 are al1 open.

The air thus drawn into the blower 22 is forced through the conduit 20, into the conduits I8, and against the opposite faces of the glass sheet S through, the slots I9, which are of a length at least egual to the width of the'glass sheet being drawn.

By rotating the conduits I8 about their axes, the slots I 9 may be positioned to direct the lm of air against opposite faces of the glass sheet at the most eflicient angle, vand by adjusting the conduits 25 horizontally or pivotally, or both in vertical planes, the air at the most effective points within the chamber I2 may be withdrawn by the blower 22.

With this arrangement of adjustable air conduits and by the provision of the valves 3 I, 32, 33, and 34, the pressure and the temperature'of the air within the stretching and setting chamber I2 can be critically adjusted for maximum glasssetting efficiency, and by the provision ofthe horizontal slots 4I9 in the conduits I8 and the elongated slots in the flattened ends of the conduits 25, proper air pressure is maintained within .the chamber I2 in the absence of induced air e obtained by reversing the procedure as illustrated,

more clearly indicated which may be readily carried out by means of suitable by-passes in the blower 22.

By suitable manipulation of the valves 3l and 32, the volume of air introduced may be readily varied with respect to the volume withdrawn and by suitable manipulation of the valves 33 and I4, the temperature of the air admitted to the chamber I2 may readily be varied. A

From the above detailed disclosure, it should readily be appreciated that the present invention provides a method and apparatus in the manufacture of sheet glass, whereby proper airconditions are maintained within the stretching and setting zone for maximum efliciency in drawing of the sheet of glass with better annealing and a substantial elimination of the characteristic surface wave.

While we have disclosed but a single specific embodiment of our invention, such is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the subjoined claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. In sheet glass drawing apparatuscomprising a glass-melting tank, a stretching and setting chamber communicating with the.tank, an annealing lehrdisposed above the chamber, and t with all of. the conduits and operative to draw air from the chamber through the last-mentioned conduits and exhaust air into the chamber through the first-mentioned conduits.

2. The structure defined in ,claim 1 wherein the rst conduits include swivel connections providing for rotatable adjustment thereof about their axes and the second conduits include combined telescopic and pivotal connections for adjustment thereof in vertical planes.

3..The structure dened in claim 1 'together with a conduit in communication with the lastnamed conduits, with a source of heated air and with the atmosphere.

' 4. In sheet glass drawing apparatus comprising a glass-meltingtank, a stretching and setting chamber communicating with the tank, an annealing lehr disposed above the chamber, and means for continuously drawing a kglass sheet upwardly from the tank and successively through the chamber and lehr; the improvement comprising a pair of parallel slotted air conduits extending through the chamber adjacent to and parallel with opposed faces of a glass sheet being drawn, a pair of parallel air conduits extending into the chamber from each opposite side thereof,- the conduits of each pair being disposed at opposite sides of the glass sheet and terminating adjacent the opposite edges thereof, Van air-heating chamber, a blower, conduit connections between the inlet of the blower, the second-named pairs of conduits, the air-heating chamber and atmosphere, and conduit connections 'between the outlet of the blower and the first-named conduits. Y

, 5f In u method of treating'al glass sheet while being' continuously drawn upwai dly from a bath of molten glass and through a stretching and setting chamber having a debiteuse block at the base thereof; the steps consisting in withdrawing air from the chamber adjacent the debiteuse block at spaced points at each side of the sheet and adjacent the vertical edges thereof, and simultaneously directing the withdrawn air together with a further volume Vof air of predetermined temperature against the opposite surfaces of the glass sheet from one edge thereof to the other and at-a position substantially above the points from which the air is withdrawn.

6. In a method of treating a glass sheet while being continuously drawn upwardly from a bath Vof molten glass and through a stretching and setting chamber having a debiteuse block atthe base thereof; the steps consisting in withdrawing air from the chamber adjacent the debiteuse block at spaced points at each side of the sheetv and adjacent thevertical edges thereof; and simultaneously directing the withdrawn air together'with a further volume of atmospheric and pre-heated air against the opposite surfaces of the glass sheet at positions substantially above the points from which `the .air is withdrawn, the air being directed against the glass sheet in lm formation from edge to edge ofthe sheet and at an angle to the surfaces thereof.

7. In sheet glass drawing apparatus comprising .a melting tank, a stretching and setting chamber having a debiteuse block at the base thereof, a lehr supported above the chambenand means for continuously drawing a sheet of glass upwardly from the tank and successively through the chamber and lehr; the improvement comprising a pair of laterally spaced conduits in the chamber substantially above the debiteuse block, the conduits having slots in their walls ,axially thereof for directing sheets of 'air-against'.

opposite faces of a glass sheet passing therebetween; other openy enddconduits projecting into the chamber adjacent the debiteuse block and in laterally spaced relation for passage of a glass sheet therebetween, and means for continuously drawing air from the chamber through the lastnamed conduits and forcing it in to the flrstnamed conduits for impingement in sheet for'- mation against opposite faces of the glass sheet.

8. The structure defined in `claim 7, wherein the second-named conduits have their open ends vertically flattened and wherein they include telescopic and pivotal connections for adjustment thereof in vertical planes.v

9. The structure deiined in claim 4 together with valves in said conduits and conduit connections for critical adjustment of the pressure and temperature of the airwithin the stretching and setting chamber. Y

EUGENE ROLLAND.- CHARLES J. RICHTER; 

